The Welsh Black Cattle - Breeders Society of N.Z Inc.

Newsletter February 2018

Well, what a weird season we are having – going from swamp to concrete in a couple of weeks in the spring to going from drought to flooding almost overnight now. However, some areas have not been so fortunate with coastal Taranaki and the Wakefield area getting more wind than rain. Inland Hawkes Bay has been having an excellent growing season but nearer the coast conditions are dry. Banks Peninsula has had some useful rain and hopefully those affected by the fires in Canterbury have also had some.

Colonsay Marcia and her calf by Colonsay Master

Annual General Meeting 2018

This year the AGM is being held in the Nelson region from 6 April to 8 April. Accommodation has been reserved at the Quality Inn, 40 Waimea Road, Nelson. Phone: 03 548 2089 or Freephone: 0800 333 089 email: stay@qualityinnnelson.co.nz Please advise them that you are with the Welsh Black Cattle Breeders as rooms have been reserved on behalf of the Society.

It is proposed that the first Council meeting will be held in one of the guest rooms in the hotel at about 3.00 p.m. on Friday 6 April. The next morning, we will travel to Tui, Wakefield, to visit Edwin and Margaret Foord’s Kawaka stud where the AGM will be held at 10.00 a.m. following morning tea at 9.30 a.m.

Council

This year Margaret Foord and Shirley Jenkins both retire by rotation. Both are eligible and are willing to stand for re-election. However, other nominations will also be accepted. Forms will be available at the AGM. Don’t forget about the Janet Probert Memorial Award. Nominations need to be with the Secretary at the beginning of the AGM.

The remainder of the day will be spent checking out their herd and exchanging ideas and news with the second Council meeting be held there at say 3.30 p.m. before returning to the hotel for the Society Dinner.

On Sunday we will be visiting a couple of the enterprises run by the Wakatu Incorporation which is based in Nelson. They have a varied portfolio including orchards, seafood and farming and producing a number of products including wine and cider.

News from Overseas

Wales is having a very wet winter. Evelyn Jones says that it is one of the wettest that she can remember.

At the recent Winter Show and Sale in Wales Gwenfair Jones & Sons received the top price 11,800 guineas for their bull, Hafodescob Edward 19th, born November 2016. Ken Ellis won 2 second prizes at the accompanying show with his 2015 born bull and sold him for 2750 guineas. You can view some video highlights of the event on the Welsh Black Cattle Society’s Facebook page.

Another interesting video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zki_CN0_tQY&feature=youtu.be which was sent by Achim Vogt who was with the group of German Welsh Black breeders who came here for the Congress in 2016. He has been showing his cattle and winning with them since 1994. The video shows him with his entry of a cow with calf at foot. An interesting feature was that the exhibitors are walking backwards leading their animals and pausing every now and then.